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YONKERS, N.Y. -- The Lenoir Trail in Yonkers is looking like a new place with the hard work of the Jolly Rovers Trail Crew and the Friends of Westchester County Parks.

The two groups recently began phase 1 of the cleanup that involved clearing, cleanup and the rebuilding of steps with the help of a $5,000 grant by REI, said Joanne Fernandez, board chairwoman for Friends of Westchester County Parks.

They hope to complete the project soon which will involve the repair and re-blazing of Lenoir’s trails.

“Lenoir Preserve is a 40-acre nature preserve comprising woodlands and field habitats that is adjacent to the Old Croton Aqueduct on slopes overlooking the Hudson River. We are so grateful to REI for funding this important project and also to Jolly Rovers Trail Crew for providing us with their trail-building expertise to complete this project. This initiative is a great example of how teamwork can help keep our county parks beautiful,” said Fernandez.

The Lenoir Preserve property was formerly home to two Hudson River estates and boasts a number of unusual specimen trees and shrubs imported from around the world. Among them are some magnificent copper beeches from Europe, gingko trees from Asia and Douglas firs from the Pacific Northwest.

“It is collaborations like these that tap the true value of REI’s local grant making program. Through this project, our community partner, Friends of Westchester County Parks, together with their partner Jolly Rovers Trail Crew, are making a meaningful contribution to the conservation and stewardship of our natural areas where our common communities recreate”, said Demean Hryciw, REI Outdoor School Instructor and member of the Outdoor Programs Team in the Tri-State Region.

The Jolly Rovers are a volunteer trail organization specializing in the craft of stonework and other trail structures. Its volunteers build to increase public access to public parks and forests through beautiful and sustainable trail construction.

The Friends of Westchester County Parks engages the public to advocate for, and invest in the preservation, conservation, use, and enjoyment of the 18,000 acres of parks, trails, and open spaces within the Westchester County Parks system.